


Star

by shieldivarius



Series: Femslash Yuletide 2014 [20]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/F, Femslash Yuletide, Prompt: Star
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-09 02:49:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5522639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shieldivarius/pseuds/shieldivarius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Melinda plans a press conference to address the Advent Gang's activities.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Star

**Author's Note:**

> All of the Melinda/Natasha stories in this year's Femslash Yuletide are in the same universe and chronological unless stated otherwise!

"Hi, Mom.

"Yes, I saw the news. Yes, that's our case. No, I don't think an Avenger should be involved either but she's become obsessed. Yes, I'm still tied up over Christmas. I'm not sure I'll be home to catch your call next time either, but call me."

Melinda hung up the phone at the end of her message and fumbled for the report on her desk.

The Advent Gang had surfaced again, striking back where Natasha had hypothesized they might, and breaking their counter clockwise pattern in favour of circling back to their starting point of Rockefeller Plaza.

They'd tried to steal the star atop the Christmas tree there, and in doing so had attracted the attention of the international media.

S.H.I.E.L.D. looked bad. The NYPD looked bad.

Worse, the Avengers looked bad.

Reports poured in about New York's inability to deal with a rash of petty mischief in a timely manner. They wanted to know why the Advent Gang still ran free. They wanted to know why no one had been present except the Black Widow when the attempted theft had happened.

They wanted to know why Natasha had been present, and if her presence meant the Advent Gang had connection to an upcoming global catastrophe.

 _Melinda_ had been tasked with putting together the documents for the presser. Natasha would be speaking on behalf of the Avengers and squashing any mentions of S.H.I.E.L.D. She'd be answering questions alongside a spokesperson for the NYPD.

Melinda had prepped herself for the disaster it would turn out to be.

Natasha would be fine, of course. It was the police that Melinda thought needed S.H.I.E.L.D.’s briefing materials, and someone had already decided that they wouldn't be sharing.

A knock sounded at the door and Natasha walked in after a moment's pause. She wore business attire—a smart black blazer with a crimson blouse underneath, pencil skirt and steep black heels—and had a folio clutched in one hand.

"Pepper sent me a list of journalists she's cleared to be present. It's going to be televised and she's promised there won't be any tricky questions from this group."

Melinda took the offered folder and flipped through it. New York Times. Associated Press. Three international conservative papers and a left wing Canadian one. Twenty names in all.

"Small," Melinda said.

Natasha nodded. "Let the rest of them take their sound bytes from outside. I don't want to play 20 questions with journalists who want to try and trick me into saying the Advent Gang are actually shape-shifting Chitauri."

Melinda allowed a smile at that. Being right, and being thrown into the spotlight as a result of it, had gotten Natasha more fired up than she'd been in days. They hadn't managed to catch another member of the Advent Gang, but it seemed like a presser to badmouth them suited her just as well.

"My mom left a message telling me she thinks we're being reckless with this."

"I wouldn't say reckless is the word," Natasha said. "We're short on resources and it's showing, but this is sensationalism. This is..." She trailed off and rolled her eyes. "My fault."

She might as well have shouted the words _some spy I am_.

"Don't mention the resources. Leave the NYPD to address those questions."

Natasha nodded.

"Pepper's asked that I keep Tony's name out of it. A close look at my cover story isn't going to stand up well. Can't mention S.H.I.E.L.D. Have to steer away from any suggestion that Stark Industries might be bankrolling the Avengers."

She didn’t sound worried, but there was a lot of room in their story for the media to come up with their own spin on what Natasha had been up to. 

"Just keep on topic," Melinda said. "We're not going to allow a lot of questions. I don't want any more than five, but I've built in time for ten if they're quick enough."

"So don't be quick. Got it," Natasha said. She took the outline of the presser from Melinda and skimmed through it, eyes flicking rapidly back and forth across the page.

"This is good," she said when she'd finished.

"Is Potts more concerned with Stark Industries or Stark himself?" Melinda asked, She didn't think Stark's name would come up in questions if the journalists who'd been selected accepted that Natasha had all but been acting on her own when she'd intercepted the robbery—and brought the Rockefeller tree crashing down in the midst of it all—but it seemed prudent to have all of the information going in.

Natasha laughed. "I don't think even she knows," she said. “Regardless, she’s done us a favour and doesn’t want much in return.”

Melinda nodded and glanced at the clock. Two hours to the presser. The police would be setting up the barricades now. The Chief of Police, with help from the mayor's office, had arranged for the circus to be held in the lobby of the Rockefeller Center, where the press could get some lovely shots of construction and clean up crews trying to right the tree outside so that people could resume winter activities in the plaza.

What a mess.

"Hey," Natasha prompted. “I’ve got this. Wrapped up by Christmas, right?”

Melinda jerked to look up at her, and the sudden change in her voice. The thought of reassuring Nat, again, that she didn’t need the gang caught in the next three days faded when Natasha leaned over the desk and— oh. Her bra matched her blouse.

Melinda reached across and fastened the next button up, closing the gap and cutting off her view down Natasha's shirt. 

"I think the red is flashy enough for the presser," she said.

Natasha laughed deep in her throat, looking coy. "I don't think my fans would appreciate the dour blue I wear for court-martial hearings." She lifted a hip to sit on the edge of the table as she spoke, and crossed her legs. Melinda watched her skirt rise up her thigh.

She cleared her throat, feeling warm. "When've you been court-martialled?"

Natasha beamed, shifting from sultry to delighted in an instant. "Oh good," she said. "I was worried you might find the idea of my dour court suit sexy."

 _Brat._

"I should push you off the table for that," Melinda said. "Tell me this isn't for your fans." She waved a hand to encompass the outfit as she said it.

Natasha kissed her when she leaned over this time. "It's not for my fans," she said.

Of course it wasn’t. 

Melinda tugged her back in for another kiss. Natasha's lipstick was dusty on her tongue, her breath minty beneath that. Her curls brushed softly against Melinda’s fingers when she slipped her hands into Nat’s hair.

Natasha started pushing against her shoulder, pressing her back against her chair and shifting. She'd all but climbed in Melinda's lap when Melinda remembered, abruptly, where they were.

“We’re at work,” she said, pulling back just enough and breathing the words into Natasha's lips.

Natasha grunted and stood up. Her lipstick was smeared, blouse and blazer a little messy—not to mention a frizzy curl here and there—and her skirt had ridden up in a crumple to mid-thigh.

She glanced at the clock and began straightening herself. "Right," she said, and Melinda thought she saw the tiniest pink hint across the tops of her cheeks. 

"Later," Melinda said. She wanted to see just how well Nat's bra matched her blouse. She wanted to know if there were panties to match.

There probably were. 

"Oh, definitely later," Natasha said. She settled back down on the other side of the desk and blew Melinda a kiss before picking up the presser file again. "Where were we?"

**Author's Note:**

> http://shieldivarius.tumblr.com


End file.
